Optical communications channels or links in optical communications networks may use wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) lambdas or lambda circuits for carrying multiple two-way communications simultaneously. Traditionally, WDM lambdas have defined discrete speeds such as 2.5, 10, 40 and 100 gigabits per second (Gbps). The use of these discrete values is due to technology standards and legacy Synchronous Optical Networks (SONET). Accordingly, there is a need to provide an optical network capable of variable speed lambdas, i.e. lambdas that can be tuned to arbitrary speeds such as 3, 11, 42, and 103 Gbps, and a solution to control and optimize these variable speed lambdas.
Additionally, free space optical communications (FSOC) links, that may be used with optical communications networks or may be part of an optical communications network, are subject to degradation or loss of communications by weather conditions or other events. This can be particularly challenging in systems such as medium/low earth satellites and unmanned aerial vehicles where the optical link platforms move with respect to the surface of the earth. Accordingly there is also a need to provide a solution for hitless communications in an FSOC environment, i.e., bit or packet loss in the FSOC environment does not perceptibly impact end user performance.